The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the depression in the Arabian Sea is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’ on May 17 and cross the Gujarat coast a day later. 

The name ‘Tauktae’ has been given by Myanmar which means ‘gecko’. This is going to be the first cyclonic storm of this year along the Indian coast.

According to officials, the weather condition has intensified into a deep depression. From May 16-19, it is very likely to intensify into a “very severe cyclonic storm” with a wind speed of 150-160 kilometres per hour gusting up to 175 kmph, Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said. It is likely to reach Gujarat coast by the morning of May 18.

Coastal states on alert

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked 53 teams to tackle possible after effects of Cyclone ‘Tauktae’.

Out of the 53 teams, 24 have been pre-deployed or stationed on the ground while the rest are on stand-by.

A single NDRF team comprises about 40 personnel and they are armed with tree and pole cutters, boats, basic medical aid and other relief and rescue equipment.

Heavy rains lashed many parts of Kerala and huge tidal waves started hitting low-lying coastal areas. Anticipating massive tidal flooding, the authorities have started shifting to safety people living in the low-lying seaside regions of the southern part of the state. In some coastal pockets, tidal waves entered the seaside areas, exposing coastal villages to high tides and flooding.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has directed the authorities in coastal districts of the state to remain alert and well-equipped to tackle the situation.

The government machinery in Goa has put in place necessary measures to tackle the situation in view of the warning about the cyclone.

Naming of cyclones

The word cyclone has been derived from Greek word ‘cyclos’ which means ‘coiling of a snake’. The word cyclone was coined by Henry Piddington who worked as a rapporteur in Kolkata during British rule. 

Tropical cyclones are called hurricanes over the Atlantic Ocean and typhoons over the Pacific Ocean. 

Tropical cyclones are named to provide easy communication between forecasters and the public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. Since the storms can often last a week or longer and that more than one can be occurring in the same basin at the same time, names can reduce the confusion about what storm is being described.

Each tropical cyclone basin in the world has its own rotating list of names. For cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, the naming system was agreed by countries of a group called World Meteorological Organisation/Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (WMO/ESCAP) and took effect in 2004.

In 2018, a new panel was set up to coordinate and decide names for future cyclones. Accordingly, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen gave their preferences for names.

Since the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the north Indian Ocean witness five cyclones a year, the list could last for the next 25 years.

The naming helps in rapidly and effectively disseminating warnings to a much wider audience.

Every country has given 13 names. Among the new names that have been finalised are ‘Arnab’, proposed by Bangladesh, Shaheen by Qatar and Lulu by Pakistan, Pinku by Myanmar, Bahar by Qatar. 

India proposed names such as Gati (speed), Tej (speed), Murasu (musical instrument in Tamil), Aag (fire), Neer (water), Prabhanjan, Ghurni, Ambud, Jaladhi and Vega. 

The Indian names were selected by a panel within the IMD which had also sought suggestions from the public. 

According to the guidelines, the proposed names should be neutral to politics, political figures, religious beliefs, cultures and gender. The name should be chosen in such a way that it does not hurt the sentiments of any group of population over the globe. Plus, it should not be “very rude and cruel” in nature and easy to pronounce. More importantly, it should not be offensive to any member, it said.

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